On Aug. 26, as a protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, the Brewers, Mariners and Dodgers chose not to play.
The move came three days after police in Kenosha, Wis., shot Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back after responding to a 911 call. It was the latest in a string of disturbing incidents involving police and Black Americans, following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville earlier this year.
The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks were the first professional team to act when they refused to take the court for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic, and baseball followed within hours.
The Brewers, Mariners and Dodgers were the first to sit out. The following day, Aug. 27, seven more games were postponed after players on one or both teams protested by not playing. Another was postponed for the same reason the following day. In all, 11 games featuring 21 teams were postponed.
“There’s a lot going on in the world,” Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts said. “Change needs to be made. I have to use my platform to get the ball rolling.”
The reaction of many was that players should “stick to sports” and stay out of broader social issues. But such statements ignore the fact that player activism has been a part of baseball since its earliest years. While baseball is frequently characterized as a conservative sport—often accurately—players speaking out and taking action goes back more than 125 years.
Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
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SUMMER STANDOUTS
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FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
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A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
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K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.